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Koji Nakanishi interviewed by Leon Gortler (unedited footage), Part 7

  • 1987-Sep-20

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Transcript

00:00:00 What was I saying? I was saying that. What was the last thing?

00:00:07 Wait a moment, wait a moment. I was saying that.

00:00:13 Oh yeah, I see.

00:00:30 Imagination. Could this be translated into organic problem and so on?

00:00:36 And also, you have a very broad mind and also a very critical one.

00:00:44 When you read papers, don't think, don't accept the things written there for granted.

00:00:54 And I think it's trying to retain, I mean, this is all I've used.

00:01:03 Okay, I can start from there.

00:01:24 Also, when one reads a paper, I think it's important to not only to understand the paper,

00:01:40 but also to retain some information, take an active attitude, trying to extract an information

00:01:49 which will have a positive influence on the person's research at that particular time.

00:01:58 And that is another thing. And also, as it becomes more and more interdisciplinary,

00:02:07 I think one should strive to look at things from various angles in a very broad manner.

00:02:14 Otherwise, you cannot do it. You see, even if two people, A and B, collaborate,

00:02:21 even if it is interdisciplinary, they have to touch bases at some stage.

00:02:26 And this can only be done if people have a broad, open mind.

00:02:30 And this is what I think is a tremendous advantage of the education system in this country

00:02:38 compared to, in particular, Japan. And this country, you have, in the States,

00:02:46 you can choose courses and it's not a set menu, but a la carte, this and that and that.

00:02:54 But in Japan, it's not like that. It's more like a set menu, plus there's not enough mixing of blood.

00:03:00 And that is one tremendous advantage that people in this country have.

00:03:07 And also, there's very fair competition.

00:03:11 And people who manage to do good work, outstanding work while they are young,

00:03:18 they immediately get recognized, independent of what school they come from.

00:03:22 It's not even discussed. It's solely on a fair play.

00:03:27 And in many other countries, it's not necessarily so.

00:03:31 And that is a very healthy situation in this country.

00:03:37 I wonder what else. Let me just stop it for a second.

00:03:47 Okay.

00:04:04 Another point maybe I should mention is the importance of lab techniques.

00:04:13 And, you see, discussion, in particular in interdisciplinary areas or whatever,

00:04:20 discussion is glorified. But the thing which is very difficult

00:04:26 is to prove that a negative result is really negative.

00:04:30 And in order to do that, you have to have very good lab techniques to be confident about what

00:04:37 you're doing. And about the micro scale, I don't worry.

00:04:41 Many students ask, and how come you can do things on a micro scale like that,

00:04:46 which is in most cases invisible. But if you're forced to do that,

00:04:51 practically anyone can do this. But it is to have good techniques,

00:04:56 which means clean and reliable hands that you know that your results are correct

00:05:02 and not to be sloppy. And this constantly

00:05:07 depends on the constant effort on the side of the students,

00:05:12 in addition to having this broad concept and liberal mind and dynamic, all of these things.

00:05:20 But I think, plus a creativity, imagination, well, it's said quite often.

00:05:27 But so have good hands and a sharpened antenna and hard work.

00:05:33 OK, Koji, thank you very, very much. It's really been a delight.

00:05:37 And I appreciate your talking to me. Thank you very much.

00:05:43 Thank you.

00:05:57 OK.

00:06:01 Thank you very much.

00:06:03 OK, Karine, will you give us a brief memory about the

00:06:05 Walt Whitman-Leaptor lecture today?

00:06:08 All right.

00:06:10 Can you imagine as someone who listened to you,

00:06:13 actually listening to me, focus here,

00:06:15 it's a flashback or a flashback that goes to that lecture earlier,

00:06:22 close the door and pick it up again?

00:06:24 No, it's fine, let's just take two.

00:06:26 One more?

00:06:28 Yeah, one more.

00:06:36 It's fine.

00:06:38 Thank you.

00:06:40 OK.

00:06:42 OK.

00:06:52 Less than 60 minutes.

00:07:02 OK?